Since he was 17, Ben Gilbert of Devonport has been in and out of employment.

Working as an unpaid volunteer at the City Mission shop in Devonport, Mr Gilbert sees the same despair in work for the dole participants as he himself experienced in the past.

As a team leader at the shop, Mr Gilbert, now receiving disability payments, believes job seekers are being beaten down by the knock backs and are struggling to “sell themselves” on paper.

“Over the years it has changed from going to an employer and getting a trial to being about job networks and in a lot of ways that does trick people because it is all about appearance and attitude,” Mr Gilbert said.

He said often employers can’t see the real skills of an employee on paper.

“I have proven here that I can do rosters, stock control and training, but when you go for a job and your resume is not up to standard, that is where a lot of people are struggling.”

Mr Gilbert believes there should be a service where those who have trouble with literacy are given help writing application letters so they can get a chance to prove themselves.

“I have issues with my knees, another bloke might have issues with his arm, but you have to address that so they can get work,” he said.

One of the most debilitating factors to the job search is the despair of a fruitless search.

“The most common words I hear out of work for the dole people’s mouths is ‘why bother’, it is all about despair,” he said.

“When a job comes up they are not mentally prepared because they have been pushed down that much.”